Hockey Hall of Fame encourages the ‘real reality’ for visitors

Poking fun at the focus on technology, Toronto’s Hockey Hall of Fame and McCann Canada, have created a spot around the “Real Reality.” The phrase, which is now trademarked, plays into the spot where visitors put on empty virtual reality glasses and really experience what’s inside.

“I just wanted to have people recognize that there is so much more than just seeing something on the screen,” Peter Jagla, vice president of marketing and attraction services at the Hockey Hall of Fame. “There’s so much more than seeing something in your own world, alone. Surprised and unexpected are fun things to welcome.”

Adding in humor, the people in the spot are wearing the hollowed glasses and are experiencing the museum with a sense of awe as they float around the exhibits.

“We’re not a stale museum. It’s very interactive,” Jagla said. “We celebrate and champion technology. We have always done that but at the same time, you can enjoy everything.”

This spot also coincides with the Hockey Hall of Fame’s limited-time NHL Centennial Exhibit. Showcasing hockey, this exhibit honors the NHL’s 100-year history. In addition to this special exhibit, the museum hosts life-size versions of goalies and shooters, including Carey Price and Sidney Crosby, as well as hockey’s first 3D film, and memorabilia such as Crosby’s gloves and a larger than life Gordie Howe status.

In addition to the 30-second spot, which will run on T.V. in both the U.S. and Canada, the Hockey Hall of Fame is also giving away its “Real Reality” goggles at events across North America through the fall. If you’re visiting certain Cineplex movie theaters, you will get your own pair of glasses and watch the ad before the film.

Jagla said that the social media response has been exciting, noting that retweets and shares have been more than they expected.

“This is one where everyone relates [to it],” Jagla said. We’re an attraction that focuses on hockey but this is a concept that [hits on] everything, just related to the Hall of Fame because we have fun doing what we’re doing and you’ll have fun.”